Since a consular officer generally holds office such a short time, one
would not expect him to rank with Navy and Army officers, but such is
the case. Here are the equivalents in rank:
Consuls General
rank with
Commodores in the Navy or
Brigadier Generals in the Army.
Consuls and
Commercial Agents
rank with
Captains in the Navy or
Colonels in the Army.
Vice Consular officers,
Deputy Consular officers,
Consular Clerks and
Consular Agents
rank with
Lieutenants in the Navy or
Captains in the Army.
It is an event of some consequence when a United States naval squadron,
or even a lone cruiser, enters a foreign port where an American consular
officer is stationed; for the time to “put on airs” and “show off”, if
you ever do such things, is when you are away from home. On such an
occasion a commander of a squadron sends an officer ashore to visit the
consular officer and to invite him on board the flag-ship. Or, in case
it is but a single war-vessel, the commander thereof first goes ashore,
visits the consul and invites him on board. In either case the consul
accepts the invitation, as in duty bound, goes on board and “tenders his
official services to the commander”. Usually upon his return to the
shore a salute is fired in his honor—nine guns if a consul general,
seven if a consul or five if a commercial agent. While it is being fired
he faces the vessel and at the end of the salute lifts his hat in token
of acknowledgment and the formalities are over.
Consular officers are expected to advance the interests of the Navy
socially and otherwise whenever they can do so without expense to the
Government. One cannot but smile at the frequency with which these words
or their equivalent occur throughout the “Regulations”.